Blades and Roses
On a moment's notice, an attack has rocked the Capital. Who are the enemy and what is their goal? Chaos has erupted. Now is the time for action. Crocus Under Siege "This isn't the time to argue! We need to get going. Let's do this the simplest way." Sanjo looked at the others as they stared back at him questionably. The sudden news had shaken everyone up. Everyone had thrown out suggestions on what to do. But no one could come to an agreement. Yet, they all know the palace guard wouldn't hold long by themselves. Sanjo pointed outside the window. "Let's all split up. Everyone on their own. I'll head outside the gate. We don't have time to waste." Alia nodded in agreement. "I'm with Sanjo on this. I'll head towards the East Wing. Is that fine, Xena?" She asked, turning to her superior. Xena clenched her fist, for something like this to happen on her watch. She was gonna get an earful from Raimo. Her eyes quickly shifted over to Alia. "That's fine. Sorry, your highness. But I have a responsibility over this city and your safety. I'll call the shots." Joseph shook his head in disagreement. "That's fine. You are a Commander, after all--" Richard tapped Joseph's shoulder suddenly. "Enough, I'm moving out. No time for this!" Richard took off past the prince. He turned and bolted down a corridor. Alia quickly bowed towards Joseph and ran off in the opposite direction. Xena arched an eyebrow as Sanjo walked up closely to the window and faced his palm towards it. "Oi, what are you doin--" The shattering of glass cut her off instantly. Sanjo blew the window out and began to step over and out of the window. Joseph gaped as the floor was littered glass shards. Xena rubbed her temples, she wanted an explanation and quick. Sanjo peered over his shoulder and waved towards the others. "I'll pay for it , don't get your panties in a knot, Xena. I'm off, " Sanjo said as he vanished in a blur of speed. Xena wasn't too sure what to say about that, but given the situation, it was the least of her worries. She glared out the window as she watched dark mages charge towards the main entrance. Who, or better said, what group was behind this? Suddenly a smirk crossed her face. She looked at the blown out window. "Well, why waste the chance, ''" She thought. Xena bolted through the window and descended into the courtyard, On each side of her, armed guards filed past her. She cracked her knuckles, it was time to take action. Many of the guards rejoiced at the sight of her. Now they had the backing of a Commander to beat back the enemy. Xena walked towards the gate. She noticed a young woman step through. Xena narrowed her eyes at the stranger. "''She did all this?" Suddenly the clangs of blades caught her attention. The Palace Guard had began trading blows with the intruders. Her eyes shifted back to the young woman, who was simply standing still. Xena's stare quickly fell upon the destroyed palace gate. Xena could tell their enemies were not pushovers. She set her attention back on Ama. "I'll give you this chance to turn back. If not, well, prepare yourself." ---- Lana could do nothing but watch as Victoria paced around the room in a flurry of worry and confusion. Why would anyone attack the capital? If it had been those nations she had heard about Fiore having tensions with, then that would of been somewhat sensible. But these intruders didn't seem to be affiliated with a kingdom, to say the least. She smoothed her blonde hair and let out a soft sigh, things were bad. The messenger knelt before Lana suddenly. She cocked an eyebrow at the gesture. "What are you doing?" Lana asked awkwardly. The messenger clenched his teeth. "His highness tasked me with the duty of seeing to it that you act as Victoria-sama's bodyguard. Until the enemy has been repelled. " The words caught Lana off guard, and Victoria as well. Victoria pressed her clenched hand towards her chest. The whole situation was surreal without a doubt. "Where is Sanjo at? Also, how about Richard and the others? Actually, what's Xena doing, she's a Commander, isn't she? " Lana stopped herself and breathed slowly. It was hard to stay calm in a situation like this. The symbol of Fiore's sovereignty was under attack; the King wasn't even around. "What I wanted to ask is, how's the situation looking?" Lana asked. The messenger rose to his feet as he walked towards the large bay window before them. " Everyone seems to be following Sanjo-dono's lead and fanned out in different directions to engage the enemy. They're dark mages, and there are alot of them. As you can imagine, the Palace Guard is holding its' own at the main entrance, " He said, letting out a sigh of relief. The man fixed his armor in place for a moment. "I need to get moving. Please, Lana-dono. Please protect the Princess, " He pleaded sincerely, " With how things are going, it is our safest bet. " The man's shaky voice had Lana convinced. She wasn't big on playing the role of a bodyguard, but this had to be done. Besides, she had become quite fond of the girl. She nodded in agreement. A smile crossed the Messenger's face as he vanished in a flash. Lana looked over at Victoria, who was currently more confused and worrisome then anything else. She scratched her head in thought. "Where do we go from here?" Suddenly, Lana snapped her fingers as a great idea came to her. "What is it, Lana? " Victoria asked softly. The Princess wondered if her newfound friend had figured out a strategy that end this whole debacle quickly. "We're just sit here. Yep, we're staying put, Victoria, " Lana remarked, crossing her arms across her chest. The best idea was to just wait it out. They were far from the enemy's reach. With not much knowledge on the enemy's movements, moving about would only be troublesome more then anything else. It'd be another story if she knew more, but you work with what you got. ---- A dazed and confused young man shut the blinds of his stores in a frenzy. He shuffled over to his wife and daughter, they locked into an embrace in the corner of the building. Everywhere around Crocus, everyone had one thing they had to do: hide for their lives. No one knew what was going on. Everyone had heard about the war situation, but this was something different. Some had watched through their window blinds as rough and brutish looking men and women ran towards the castle. All anyone could hope was that this wave of chaos would pass over them. Nonetheless, people were horrified in every sense of the word. Yet, no one could explain why none of the hostiles had assaulted them or their property. More importantly, they wanted to know where the Prince was. Also, where was the Commander they had heard about arriving into town recently. Who would protect this city and and its' people? A young brown-haired boy peered out the widow of his family's apartment. He surveyed the streets below. There was not one person there. None of his neighbors, not one. Everyone was terrified. He shook his head, he was as terrified as the rest of them. He directed his attention towards the palace. It was visible from where he was. He clenched his teeth, "What's gonna happen to us?" With a yelp, a man fell to his knees and slammed to the ground. Standing over the fallen body was none other then Zeo. Scattered around him were the bodies of dark mages, the ones who had infiltrated the palace grounds. None of them had thought about talking and just rushed at him, so he had to knock them all out. Zeo sighed, he could of help move things along by learning more about this group or whatever they were. Still one thing was bothering him more then just the invasion itself. "How? How did they get so many Dark Mages together, it's not like this group is a Balam Alliance guild. Something is off. "Zeo pondered. He squatted before the fallen body and rolled it over roughly. He searched for some kind of identification. Who were they? Unfortunately, all he found was a wad of cash and a half finished canteen of Gin. Zeo rolled his eyes, this guy was just typical trash that follows anyone with a little power. He rose to his feet. Suddenly, Zeo jolted to the main palace in surprise. He narrowed his eyes, " I sense 2 powerful presences around here. No, wait, there's another. Eh, it's a bit faint though. I could be wrong on that, I need to head back into the palace. This courtyard is clear." Zeo began to step towards the entrance of the palace, never did he think he'd be protecting this place. Life is funny. We Could Be Heroes Sanjo back stepped swiftly as a fist ran inches before his face. Quickly, he grabbed the arm of his opponent and hurled him through a wall in one smooth motion. Around him were the scattered bodies of dark mages. He had decided to secure the outer area around the palace. Before setting off back in the palace, Sanjo noticed they were focused on Mercurias and it alone. So he didn't need to worry about civilians getting caught up in this, or so he surmised. A deafening scream caught his ear as he kneed another enemy in the gut. "The hell was that?" He turned to see a young woman slammed into a wall as a rather rough looking man towered over her with a sick smile if there ever was one. She shuddered as he grabbed her and pinned her down. In that moment, Sanjo appeared behind him and slammed his head into the wall, and through the very structure completely. "Are you okay?" Sanjo asked, raising the young woman from the ground. He could feel her shivering in fear, this wasn't going well as expected. She wiped her tears. "What the hell is going on?!" She commanded. Sanjo narrowed his eyes at her, he should of known this would happen. No, he did know but was just being hopeful it wouldn't given the enemy seemed so set on their objective. Sanjo calmly set his hands on her shoulders. "Listen, the capital is under attack. From what I can tell, they're only interested in the palace. At least most of them, " Sanjo said softly. She stepped away from Sanjo. "So what about the military, the council, everyone?!" She cried. Sanjo gestured her to relax. He was expecting a reaction like this, it was totally normal. "Most of the military are dealing with the border's security. The King and his guard are on a diplomatic envoy. Still, the prince and one of the Commanders are here. So, we'll be okay. Just get home, " Sanjo replied, stuff his hands in his pockets. The woman nodded and ran off. Sanjo sighed, things were only gonna get worse. He just knew it. "You know, I told that little shit to leave the citizens alone. What a damn nuisance." Sanjo's eyes shifted to the side as he caught a glimpse a man approaching him. His spiky white hair and huge build stood out more then anything else. More then that, Sanjo could sense a bloodlust like none other. It was almost disturbing in its' own right. He turned toward his newest guest. Sanjo slowly tilted his head in question. "And you are?" He asked. "The name's Vilmos, Golden Lion, " Vilmos replied quickly. He cracked his neck side to side. "Oh, so you know of me. Interesting, " Sanjo remarked, smirking. Vilmos looked at the blonde Wizard Saint. "Most do, doesn't mean I give a shit." Sanjo chuckled at the statement. "So, are you leading this attack, Vilmos?" Instantly, Sanjo darted towards the side as Vilmos' fist missed and plunged into the same wall Sanjo's last victim's head was stuck in. He narrowed his eyes at his opponent, his strength and size were no joke. Not only did his punch pack quite a bit of power, but his speed and reach are quite dangerous. He wasn't too impressed with Vilmos though. However, things could get pesky from here. "This could get annoying, oh boy, " Sanjo moaned to himself. At the same time, a devilish smile crossed Vilmos' face. Vilmos turned and began to walk slowly towards Sanjo. "Ama told me to play it safe, but I can't pass up this chance, " Vilmos said. His smile didn't waver, if anything, it widened. Sanjo sighed, he could tell things were about to get messy. On the inside, he was truly hoping the civilians around them had made a run for it. Yet with the barrier, he had no idea how far they could get. "How about you tell me who you guys are, for starters. And how the hell a bunch I know nothing about gather a force like this? " Sanjo asked forcefully. He needed to know more about whoever this enemy was. Vilmos smirked as he cracked his knuckles in excitement. "We are Exia. Also, let's just say the Boss made use of all those weak Dark Guilds left in confusion after Oracion Seis and then Grimoire fell, " Vilmos replied sharply. Sanjo narrowed his eyes at Vilmos. The man before him had a formidable build along with power and speed. He edged his foot to the side. However, Vilmos was nothing to worry about under normal circumstances. However, Sanjo knew he wasn't under normal circumstances. "Tch, with these buildings around and the citizens, Light magic is a negative, " Sanjo thought irritably. The area effect of his light magic was problematic in an urban setting. He was here to protect Crocus' citizens not destroy their homes and possibly them along the way. Sanjo clenched his fist. Vilmos' ever present grin wasn't making things anymore pleasant. "I need to keep my attacks low key and not do anything too big, " Sanjo muttered to himself. Suddenly, Sanjo zipped towards Vilmos. He zigged and zagged as he closed in on his opponent. Vilmos quickly took a fighting stance to counter him. Sanjo smirked, that wouldn't be enough. Sanjo shifted to the left of Vilmos suddenly, catching him off guard. He spun as he sent a windmill kick rocketing towards Vilmos' face. Barely keeping his balance, Vilmos frantically blocked the kick with both forearms. Barely, but he saved his face. Still in mid air, Sanjo slammed his fist into Vilmos' gut and pushed away. He quickly flipped backwards and pushed off the ground towards Vilmos again. "It won't be that easy, fucker!" Vilmos screamed. Suddenly flickers of electrical sparks were caught in his vision. As he lowered his head, he watched as Sanjo fist barreled into his stomach once more. However,this time, it was enveloped in lightning magic. Vilmos' eyes widened as he knew he was too late to do anything. A smile crossed Sanjo's face as he sent the white haired man through a building on contact. Sanjo stood up straight as he cracked his knuckles, watching for movement within the rubble. "I better explain that one to the owner after all this, ''" Sanjo thought laughingly. He laid his hands to his side. " You know, I'm guessing you're one of those charge in with all your might idiots. Truth be told, I may be handicapped, I have nothing to worry about, " Sanjo remarked, keeping his eyes on the rubble that was once the wall of a building. Vilmos lifted himself from the ground. He rubbed the back of his head, it was no fun being sent flying through anything. Though he did have fun sending other people through walls and such. Who didn't, right? As he stepped backed onto the cobblestone streets of Crocus, Vilmos felt a nerve snap at the sign of his opponent's smug face. Sanjo's smug face, to be exact. "Welcome back, sir, " Sanjo chided. Immediately, Sanjo's eyes widened in shock. Vilmos' stomach was barely bruised. Sanjo was sure to have nailed him right in the gut with a Lightning Fist. He was sure it would of done a good deal of damage. He expect some blood and the works, but all he saw were a few scuffs and burnt skin from the impact of the lightning. Vilmos threw off his overcoat. "You're just what I wanted, a nice, strong opponent! Come at me! If not, I'm coming for you, Golden Lion, " Vilmos shouted, dashing towards Sanjo with a fury like a lion. His face, to Sanjo, was like a hungry beast. It was a bit off putting. Sanjo sighed at his incoming enemy. "No matter, I'll handle you just fine. Let's see, let us see how you stand up to my blade, Vilmos of Exia, " Sanjo said softly. He quickly waved his hand. A shiver suddenly went down his spine. Nothing. Nothing appeared at the wave of his hand. As Vilmos closed in, Sanjo was struck by confusion. "''What the hell? Why isn't re-quip working? I never have issues....." Again, yet, it was to no avail. It was like he couldn't use requip anymore. Sanjo knew something was wrong, something was very wrong. In a split second, Vilmos' fist was inches before his face. And as if there weren't enough new development, his fist didn't look normal this time around. It looked metallic. "What the hell is going on?" Sanjo cursed inwardly. --- Xena glanced confusingly at her empty palm. A drop of cold sweat slid down the side of her face. What was going on, why was requip not working properly? She glared back at Ama, who was simply standing completely calm. Something was definitely wrong here. In a time like this, Xena couldn't even summon her own sword. Things were problematic already and this just added insult to injury. "You're wondering why you can't use requip, are you not?" Xena narrowed her eyes at Ama. It looked like this was their doing. "Who are you guys?" Xena asked sternly. Around them, the palace guards and dark mages were going at it. The clangs of metal echoed through the air. Thankfully, the dark mages were weak at best so Xena didn't need to worry about the guards. Xena figured this army of dark mages were nothing but pawns. Ama slowly crossed her arms across her chest. "We are Exia, " She said calmly, " On the subject of your small magic malfunction. Let's just say that the barrier has been your undoing in that respect." Xena could feel no emotion from this young woman's expression. An empty expression from what seemed like an empty person. It was almost uncomfortable in a way. "Exia?" Xena muttered to herself. She had never heard of such a name. "And this is the barrier's effect? How did you all--" Ama's raised hand cut her off, as to silence her for a moment. "We didn't make it, no, quite the contrary. We bought it off of another guild, and that guild stole it from a lovely place. The archives of the Magic Council Fiore Branch, " Ama said, her eyes still locked in a glaring contest with Xena's. Xena clenched her teeth. This was her fault. All those months back, after Sannoto Titus had stole something from the Archives, she had let it be to focus on other things. Yet, here she was. The capital of her nation was under siege. A chaotic situation. A dreadful situation. Then it clicked. "Are you guys behind this potential war?" Xena asked, clenching her fists. There was a brief silence between the two. The sounds of combat echoed all around them. From the clangs of blades to the gruffs of struggling men trying to survive and protect what is theirs or destroy what isn't. Mecurius was in chaos. "Very sharp, as one would expect of a Commander, " Ama replied. Xena arched an eyebrow, "So, you all are? Exia is the catalyst to all this nonsense?" Ama nodded her head in agreement. Xena gritted her teeth in anger. They were being played for fools. Three nations on the brink of war, and it was all the doing of this Exia. "It was necessary to the Boss' plan that we do this, " Ama said quickly. Xena felt her mouth drop a little. She couldn't recall the last time she had heard such merciless nonsense. "You think putting tens of thousands of soldiers' lives in jeopardy is necessary? To put the hundreds of thousands of lives in this city in jeopardy? This 'boss' of yours is a fool and an arrogant tyrant of a man, " Xena spat back. Now she knew the truth, and the truth infuriated her. Ama edged her foot, taking something of a fighting stance. "I cannot allow you to insult him. Also, I have a job to do, " She said coldly. Xena tilted her head in question. "You don't actually think you can beat, do you?" Xena asking, smirking. "I do what I must!" Ama zipped towards Xena suddenly. Xena took a few steps back, watching her incoming opponent. Her enemy's eye said nothing and felt nothing. It was as if the woman was devoid of emotions, or so it seemed. Without her sword, Xena knew things would get messy. She couldn't fight seriously on palace grounds, no, that would pull in the surrounding guards and make a mess of the place. Things were enough of a mess already. Ama lunged straight at Xena, swing her first firmly towards her face. Xena quickly side stepped, dodging the punch with ease. Kick for kick and punch for punch, they locked themselves into a contest of hand-to-hand combat. Ama swiftly shot a kick to Xena's left side, but the Commander grabbed her leg. With one sweeping movement, she spun Ama around her and sent her flying across the courtyard into a solid stone wall. Cracks splintered as Ama's body slammed into it. Ama winced at the pain. She slowly rose to her feet and set her eyes back on a smirking Xena. "Seems her reputation is the real deal, " Ama muttered to herself. She lowered her hand and flipped the slit of her skirt to the side, revealing a small set of knives. Xena arched an eyebrow as she watched the young woman pull one of the knives out. "I shouldn't be just standing here, " Xena thought, taking off towards her opponent. It was not time to let the enemy take their time with things. She needed to defeat this foe quickly and secure the capital. Ama took a quick glance at her incoming opponent. However, she was just on time. Xena came to halt as she saw Ama's blood splatter on the ground. She focused on her arm, it had a sizable slit cut on its' side. "A bit of a masochist, aren't we?" Xena said. But, there was no visual response on Ama's part. It was as if nothing had happened, nothing at all. Ama tossed the knife to the side and again took something of a fighting stance. "I already knew I couldn't fight you, Xena Daniels, without going all out, " She said calmly, " But, I just wanted to see what you could do without magic. Simple curiosity even if this climate does betray me." Suddenly, blood emerged from Ama's wound and began to take a crescent shape. As the blood continued to take shape, Xena quickly realized what it was forming . A blade, a blade of blood. Ama immediately bounded towards Xena with ferocity like never before. Xena quickly jumped back to make a distance between them, but it was too late. Ama suddenly appeared on Xena's right flank with her blade only a few inches from her face. Xena ducked, dodging the attack but more soon followed. Xena quickly found herself on the defensive. While not a difficult task, Xena was dodging slashes left and right. Quickly, Xena dodged a slash from the left and stepped towards Ama; grabbed her forearm. In one fluid motion, Xena hurled Ama. She tumbled violently on the ground before coming to a halt. Xena walked slowly towards her fallen opponent. She was keeping her wits about her in case the woman had any aces in the hole. "I"m not sure what kind of magic that is, but you're not good enough to fight me, " Xena said sternly. " Of all the people present in this city right now, I am the strongest. I didn't gain the title of Commander for nothing...." Her voiced trailed off as she watched Ama rise to her feet with her emotionless eyes still unfazed. "Vampire Kirin's Talon..." Xena shrugged confusingly, "What? I can't hear you." She wasn't sure where this was going. However, it looked like the palace guard had suppressed the dark mages around her. As for the others that invaded the palace, she knew they would be dealt with shortly. These people were outmatched. How could they think that they could win? Xena was pulled out of her reverie by the steps of an approaching Ama, an opponent that didn't know how to quit. "How exactly do you people expect to win here?" Xena asked curtly. There was a short silence between the two women. "Whoever said anything about winning this battle?" Xena narrowed her eyes at the woman, now things were back to being troublesome. ---- The assorted bodies of men flew back in agony as a group of thuggish-looking men entered a hallway within the palace. They all exchanged confused looks as they turned to see a silver-haired woman standing before them. Fresh blood dripped off the blade of her Katana. Their expressions were those of fear as they took a few steps back in unison. Alia glanced over to her newest guests, her fierce, gray eyes locking onto their figures. She quickly swiped her sword to the side, gripping the hilt even tighter then before." One of the other. How many of you all are there?" She said plainly. In that instant, Alia swished past them, slashing her sword swiftly and artfully through the lot of them. She came to a halt and sheathed her sword. Blood splattered all over as they all fell one by one. Alia continued to walk forward as she paid no mind to her newly fallen enemies. This was a battle, she had no time to stay in one place for too long. On one hand, Alia found herself confused how this could of happened, but, on another hand, it made sense. The entirety of the Royal Guard is with the King's convoy, meanwhile the Military stationed its' forces at the borders. Now that she thought about it, with the situation at hand it left Raimo too occupied with this potential war. Alia stroked her chin, this potential war. Things were incredibly convenient for these people that had launched an attack on the capital. The pieces to the puzzle that Lana's friends had proposed were starting to come together. She had heard one of the men mention the word "Exia", it seemed that was the name of the group leading the attack. A dark guild, it seemed. She never thought a dark guild would have ever had the guts to attack the capital city of Fiore. Even though the battle was swaying their way, Alia felt an uneasiness in her heart. What if there was something they forgot to take into account before splitting up? "You sure did a number on these guys." Alia quickly turned to see Joseph making his way towards her. He had a small splatter of blood on his jacket, clearly belonging to his enemies. The look of worry that he had before had disappeared. Alia bowed quickly. "Your highness, well, " She said, standing straight up again, "They're all dead for the most part." Joseph clenched his teeth as he peered out the window. To have this happen to Crocus, the capital. The capital of a nation was the symbol of its' sovereignty. To have it attacked by some band of ruffians and a dark guild simply, if anything, made Fiore look weak. The idea enraged him, but he had to keep his peace. As the prince, he had to keep his composure. Alia frowned, "Listen, we'll pull through this, " Alia said firmly. The last thing they needed was the Prince of Fiore on a rampage. She sighed, things were such a mess. Joseph quickly put his hand on his hilt as his eyes shifted from side to side. "We have company, Alia, " He said, edging his foot. "My, my, his highness is rather jumpy right now." They both turned to see two young women approach them. Joseph arched an eyebrow. One had a huge scythe resting on her shoulder. He wasn't sure how such a woman of her stature could handle such a weapon. Yet, he had seen stranger things. To her left was a woman who's sense of style was nothing short of awful. "Lilya is ready. Let's attack, " Lilya said with a devilish grin. Ilya nodded, cross her arms before her. She mouthed a "yes" mirroring the same sinister look as her partner. Suddenly, Lilya twirled her scythe around her and dashed Alia and Joseph. Alia stepped before the prince. She quickly drew her sword and set her sights on the incoming enemy. There was no time for questions. There was no time for holding back. Above all else, there was no time to waste on some brat. She narrowed her eyes, raising her blade to meet the blade of the oncoming scythe. "Fool." Nothing to Fear "Crystal-Make: Splintering Fort!" Sharp yelps of pain and agony echoed as a spiked wall of crystal crashed with a few dozen men. Their bodies were sent flying back across the courtyard. A young man struggled to his feet, trying to set his eyes on their newest enemy. He panted heavily as he felt more and more blood dripping down his side. The man looked down to see a bloody gash on his side, cringing at the very sight. It wasn't supposed to be like this. That man had said it'd be a quick job with minimal casualties. Had they been forsaken? He looked up to see a hooded young man perched on the spiky structure before them. It was as if all hope left him as he focused on the young man's face. "Richard...Aria, " He muttered in pain, "Richard of the Diseases." He hit the ground hard as he blacked out, and hit the ground hard knowing they had faced a fearsome opponent. Richard sighed as he surveyed the area. He had cleared out his side of things. Truth be told, Richard was confused as to how a dark guild they had never heard of had compiled so many dark mages to fight for them. This "Exia" as one of the intruders called them were a force to be reckoned with. Just the fact that they had the guts to attack the capital made this clear. "Richard-dono!" He lowered his head to see one of the palace guards waving at him. The guard's clothes were battered. Fighting dark mages was not easy for people without magic, however, those same dark mages were very, very weak more often then not. Richard swiftly leapt off the crystal structure, landing before the guard. He nodded at the rolled up paper in the guard's hand. "What's that?" The guard quickly handed it to him. "It's a message from what of sentry units, " He said in a hoarse voice, "All the intruders near the entrance have been defeated save for their leader. But, Xena-chūsa has easily contained her." Richard unrolled the paper and skimmed over the messy handwriting. "I'd expect no less from her, " Richard said, rolling up the paper. "What about Alia and his highness? Also, Sanjo?" He had heard nothing of their actions. Some time ago, he had tried to sense out their locations, but that didn't him much except that it seemed Sanjo had left palace grounds. "I cannot say, sir. Things have been so hectic, " He said with a hint of exhaustion. Richard sighed, there was no need to push the question. He could just go and find out for himself. He began to make his way for a corridor on the other side of the courtyard, stepping over the uncosious bodies of his attackers. "I'll go meet up with Xena, you do the same with your men." Richard gave a quick wave, not bothering to look back. "Seems we're holding up well. I couldn't ask for more." ---- Victoria gasped as she looked out the window. From where they were, they could observe anything and everything happening in the entry courtyard. The scattered bodies of the intruders didn't sit well with the princess. Lana shook her head as she watched Victoria's panic. The girl wouldn't listen to a word she said. "Your highness, please don't overreact, okay?" Lana said politely. She had to try rather hard to crack a sympathetic smile. "When will this girl calm the hell down," She thought, rubbing her temples. Normally, Lana would of snapped from this girl's frantic self, but this girl was a princess. Victoria slowly stepped away from the window and turned towards her newly made friend. Lana's eyes widened when she noticed the tear going down her cheek. Victoria clapped her hands together. "Sorry, I've always been a bit overly emotional, " She said through a weak smile. "Don't worry, Sanjo and the others will have this under control, " Lana said calmly, folding her hands together. "You shouldn't get so worked up, it's important to try to keep a level head in a situation like this." Victoria blinked as her locked onto Lana's. "You sure have alot of confidence in Sanjo," Victoria said plainly. Lana restrained herself for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. Victoria was right, she figured, there was no argument to be made there. "When Sanjo is around, there is nothing to fear. At least, not for me, " Lana said sternly. "Anyway, just be ready for anything. I mean, anything." Previous Chapter | Next Chapter Category:Chronicles of a Mage Category:Zicoihno